Saturday, August 30, 2014

All we as teachers do
in class educates or the opposite to our students. It’s a result of what I
wrote on the previous post, but focused now into the class.

The way we plan a
class (or we don’t plan classes), the way we work in the class, how we see our
job, all that educates our students or does the opposite – does a harm to our
students, hurts them in their education process, and we don’t want to do that,
do we?

/ Photo, as a mere illustration. buzz aldrin on the moon. First mission in the moon I
think. This picture has become an icon of our times, like some of the pictures on previous posts

If I said on the
previous post that the family influences a lot on the kids, now I’ve got to say
that also the teacher influences too a lot on the students.

Whatever he or she
thinks, their vision of life and work, the way they carry out the class, all
that influences on the kids’ education.

What teachers do you remember from your
school time?

I would even say that the way the teacher is out of the school,
the way he or she thinks, their private life… also all that influences on the
students. All about that person stays in the classroom. / Photo: it’s an
illustration, just that

Friday, August 29, 2014

What the parents
think and the way they do and the ideas they have, all that influences on their
children.

Because of that it’s so sound to have a tutoring session with them, as soon as possible, as frequent as possible.

It’d
be a pity we were trying to educate the kid in one way, whilst at the same time
his parents and the whole family think otherwise.

We ought to pull in the same
direction.

You can catch yourself insisting and educating in the virtue and
value of order, while at home his room is a lion’s cage, and his parents don’t
care much about that. I’ve seen similar cases. / Photo from: British Parliament.
The picture is a mere illustration

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Parents should take into account that their kids’ way of
being and personality depends on the beginning, when he’s a baby. Even more,
when he or she is inside mom.

Parents also should plan something about him or
her, I mean, what he or she will be like.

Later on, beside the parents’ project,
they’ll have to expect their children’s freedom and responsibility. Aristotle said that a person's way of being depended on his actions. / Photo from: rushmore.
custer park. south dakota

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

If we want our
students should become this or that, or better said, because the student has
freedom and responsibility, and he wants to change and win a virtue or avoid a
defect, he should think of specific points to change, also with the help of his
Father God.

Then he should struggle to win at those little points.

Each day, at
this or that time, for example before doing homework, he could examine himself briefly
how he was at those points.

And again to struggle and fight again, with God’s
grace.

Often in order to gain a virtue and get rid of a vice we need time, a
period of time. And we should examine the final dispositions that make me fall
in that vice. / Photo from: biketrial gasteiz es tl

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

When tentatively all
the family are together for dinner, we have a nice time to let our children tell
their things.

Otherwise dad or mom can prompt some clue for the conversation to
flow.

We parents or elder brothers or sisters can take advantage of this
situation to propose nice things about work, some issue of the family, current
news and the conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, Irak, Palestine and Israel…

This can
educate and teach our kids for example that we should pray and remember all
those people, and we shouldn’t spoil spare food, and we have to help the poor we encounter on the street, by telling them where they can find food. / Photo from: family at dinner
table. www nymetroparents com

Monday, August 25, 2014

Any of our teenagers
may be too much concerned and worried about what the rest of people can think
of him. We parents and teachers could educate him so as not be so influenced by
others’ opinion. Our teen ought to think – if we attain the goal in educating
him: So what? You may realize that they’re so prone to follow fashion, right? And it’s worse if our teen gets himself too influenced by mind-tailors, I mean,
people who try everybody should think the same as them. With our assistance and
respecting the kid we adults can help him to make up his own view of life and
other matters. The general idea I wrote here is thanks to scholar Alfonso
Aguiló. / Photo from: Wendy Pedroso. stateimpact npr org

It's usual adolescents, teens, show off pride. They feel different, more than ever before. They aren't children any longer. They may feel confused, insecure, they have to show what they are, who they are. In this process they even can be arrogant. Male teens speak up or shout -- they want to be noticed. They like little of their adults, and right now it's when they need us more than ever! It's, again, an important age for their families to help out, even deeply, but at the same time we have to respect their intimacy. Parents should be at hand, and even they can prompt a conversation teens don't dare to hold. They have doubts, confusing ones. I don't want to exaggerate, anyway. All of us adults have passed through that age.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Here
I don’t refer to examination of conscience, which is also important for a
person; for example we Christians make an exam according to the Ten
Commandments, or we compare our lives with the model, Jesus Christ, or before confession.

Here I want
to refer to finding out how we did in the classes, whose examining is a realistic quick view: Have my students learned
something?

Have they gripped and incorporated communicative competences?

How were
the classes?

What did I do in them?

How did I help my students acquire the
language?

What have I done so far?

How far have I reached?

Am I fulfilling the
goals I thought of at the beginning of the school year?

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Babies are pretty open to learn a language in which people around speak. They're like sponges. They acquire the language, in our case English. They acquire two ways of communicating with their adults around, the mother and the target languages. So, start as soon as possible to talk English at home. Other times you can speak in your mother tongue. Lose fear to tell him things in English. At the beginning he won't say anything, but it's the silent period. Help with signals, gestures, tone of voice, pointing at something, repetition in different days. You're building up his English. / Photo from: stateswim net au. learning to swim

Friday, August 22, 2014

I would today thank the people, like you teachers for example but not only teachers, for including me into your circles and for following my blog. Unless you follow the posts, it'd useless to write. I like to write, and if possible, help you out with your job or as persons, let's say. I write from tricks to implement in class up to some anthropological small texts. The teacher and the students are human beings, and thus you deserve my keeping on writing. Beside writing is cool, isn't it? / Photo from: www nikkoladanielassociates co uk. Teacher at computer, like you.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

If you're a teacher of English or any other language, and want to have conversations in that language, as a private teacher, you need to have the language. And even more if you want to have those conversations at high levels - think of B2, C1 and C2, which are the highest levels within the Common European Framework. You're a professional teacher, I presume. So something that can help you refresh the language is by means of reading a novel in the target language, for instance, as simple as that. Why novels? Because they have everyday language.You'll remember words and learn others. / Photo from: Private classes. afabudhabi org

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

We have freedom, tentatively, and by principle. First premise. However if I skip any compromise, I can't use my freedom. If I compromise with someone about something I must fulfill it, right? Albeit some people think that getting married for example doesn't entail to live with your spouse for the rest of your life, I'd say that compromise is for all the lifetime of one of the spouses however. I do know many marriages that have lived together until death of one of the spouses. / Photo from: compromise-settling-our-differences-in-agreement-thumb. howtodateinlv wordpress com

You told me you have loads of work, you stay in your post of work for many hours, but your wife told you that you should dedicate to your children and the house. I think I understand your wife: you disappear early in the morning and come back home late, and you think people need you at your work. Be careful. If you're honest with yourself you'll discover that your wife is right - also she works out. Come back home earlier, you can, fellow. And kiss your wife with no tired a face. And turn to your kids, and kiss them: albeit you think you're losing time, it isn't true: you, man, should dedicate a long time to home: that's the best corporation you work for. And they need you. / Photo from: www gettyimages com. arriving home

Everybody, tentatively, would like to improve and better. Some months ago I was listening to the radio. It was a show where a father had to tell something about his family. He was saying that he had the purpose of showing his wife that he was a good father of their children. And, so as to finish, he told some things he did with their daughters. If we wish to improve against a vice we have we could specify one particular point to improve. So we focus on some points to gain a virtue or custom or habit, and we struggle to improve on those points. And we ask ourselves how the things are going, both positive points and things we do wrong. And evidently we can ask our angel to help us. All this is what some psychiatrists recommend. / Picture from: technician. dlm-tech com

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Pragmatics. This area
of knowledge and performance teaches us for example that the same expression or
an equivalent one can mean diverse things.

For example in Spanish I
can say “¡Dios mío!” and means to turn to God for help.

However in English it
is better not to say that expression, inasmuch as I know, and some people say “Oh,
my!” and that’s it. A professor who works in London told me about this.

There’re
other similar expressions in Spanish and English.

For instance, in Spanish it’s
a bad and wrong word to refer to the Eucharist (God hidden in something that
looks like bread, after the priest’s formula in the Holy Mass), by using a
synonym of Eucharist, “Hostia”. / Photo from: group people talking in cafe. www
handsonsuperhealth com au

The examinee of an
official diploma of English should face up with the exam with a mentality of
winning: he has been training and has studied and worked for long.

The real
exam is one more time to take exams that sort.

So he can attend the exam
relaxed, tentatively but it’s a realistic mood, believe me.

Besides he’s asked his angel to
help him out.

So this person, this candidate will move with serenity, also
because he’s a son of God. He shall not be alone: he has Heaven on his side and
close to him, and to his classmates. / Photo from:www
cyclicx com

At the listening part
of exams of English or another different language the examinee should write down
quick notes about each person who speaks, if the case.

Later the candidate will
probably have to give the same information about each character in other different
words.

This demands the examinee ought to have a lot of English internalized.

Remember
that rather to aim at an exam the diploma will certify that you are proficient
at each level, say First Certificate, Advanced or Proficiency, in relation to
the examinations of the University of Cambridge.

By the way, aural parts of
these exams, namely speaking and listening may be the most difficult of the tasks.
/ Photo from: radio show

A situation that
sometimes occurs is that the teacher thinks he is not obeyed and followed,
while the students may be thinking they are not understood.

It is sensible to
bear this in mind.

A general reprimanding to all the class while shouting (in
English) is like a blow in somebody’s face.

Nonetheless on an oncoming day we
can compensate by treating them in another different way. I even know that that
same teacher sometimes told his students they were nice people and he had
noticed their effort and struggling. / Photo from: elmilmariposas blogspot com

Friday, August 15, 2014

It could entertain
students and help them learn if we play a film with captions or subtitles in
English.

I propose Singin’ in the Rain.
This movie is rather simple to follow. It was released in 1952 and on the
picture above are from left to right, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Gene
Kelly. Debbie then was some 18 or 19.

I presume that girls would enjoy more
than boys, but since it’s an academic activity they might like it too, at least
a bit though they show the opposite. Oh, I forgot, the scene above is the unforgettable
song “Good Morning”.

By the way, boys and girls learn English in a different way, as I can say from my own experience.

Also tests are
helpful at school because we teachers learn what our students know about some
topic, and henceforth we teach upon that knowledge and practice they may intend.
/ Photo from: plus google com

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Assessment. It’s
necessary for the student and for the teacher; in the latter case, in order to
see how to improve, what I have done wrong, so it’s for my students’ benefit as
well.

I think you should have a clear concept of assessing. Let’s focus briefly
on written tests.

Beside grammar and vocabulary you should get a clear idea of
the student’s capability to communicate in English, because we teach English
for some people to get capable of communicating with other people (you in this
case) in English. / Picture from: Poetry_writing_residency-Lanning_Sq_School
www perkinscenter org

One of the first things I've done today has been humming and singing to myself some song of The Beatles. Albeit they aren't old in some sense, my young students would think I live in prehistoric times. Many teachers have taken some song for his students to fill in blanks, whilst listening to that song. They created some music that hasn't died out. And now I can say something about creativity. Remember that the main source of activities to learn and acquire English is the teacher himself.

Today I offer a piece
of a longer text written by Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez, who was the author
of unforgettable Platero y yo. The text
is about work and soon I hope to give it a translation into English.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Any ideas are welcome, tentatively - this blog is open regards any comment, any claim, any joke, any suggestion... Anyone can participate; first you readers, either in Spanish or English... even in Latin. / Photo from: What_to_Look_for_in_a_Gardener_2309384_460 www dexknows com

We teach
and treat human people. More than once we might have wandered about the
students and their things and their conducting, right?

In Benedict XVI’s
encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in truth) we can read, “Charity
in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by his earthly life and especially
by his death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the
authentic development of every person and of all humanity.” / Photo from: www
esciclismo com. trials

The first educators
are the parents of the family. Secondly other members of the family can give a
hand and help out: elder brothers and sisters.

And in the next stage we have
the teachers. These ones cannot substitute and replace the parents.

And what about
the family atmosphere? There should be love and trust, helping and receiving,
honesty and sincerity, communication and interest for any member, however he or
she is.

This is a valuable premise: each member is loved for his or her sake,
however way he or she is.

This education also entails the chaplain of the
school, if the parents choose him. Parents should always be able to choose the
school and sort of education – this is a basic premise. / Photo from: mother-daughter-relationship-main.
www feminiya com

Two years ago a student of mine wished to take one of Cambridge examinations of English. Namely he wanted to take First Certificate. However I suggested to him to take PET exam first, because his level was rather low for First. Whenever you want to take an examination of English or any other language, in my opinion you ought to take the exam whose level of difficulty and communicative competences you already master. Among other reasons is that for example for the Speaking part you must be fluent enough; also because the language should be like a second nature you have; and as well because that language must have been internalized and embraced by you. / Photo from: Graduation in Cambridge University. www thesundaytimes co uk

Monday, August 11, 2014

I devote some posts to values and virtues on my blog. Today I start a label or tag dedicated to "values" and "virtues". If you want to find more from past posts, you could type those words in the Search box of my blog. From now on, I will type those words as labels or tags at the corresponding posts.

The period of
adolescence, say 13 through 18 for example, is a great age for maturing and for
education.

They, teens, need us parents a lot, albeit they turn more to their
friends.

It is a period for communication within the family, though teens trend
to create their intimacy, which we should respect. More than trying they should
tell us all, we as parents have to listen to their struggles and all their
stuff.

We parents and teacher tutors must listen to them, though we might think
all that is trifle; well, it’s their world, a part of their intimacy, something
so valuable for them.

It’s right away the time for listening to them, and for us to
give them values and advice. In that way, there arises a mutual understanding. They expect
us telling them values and clear criteria for conducting in that new world
they’re encountering. / Photo from: my blog. The film is City Lights, released on January 30, 1931. Charlie Chaplin gets in love with a blind girl who sells flowers. Don't miss it!